Radiohead - Kid A
(Capitol)
This is the sound of a pop group pretending they are not a pop group. This is the sound of Radiohead
wishing that instead of being big stars on a big label, they were post-dorks on a "street" label (and
given the rumors that Radiohead is unhappy with their current label and looking for a change, maybe
this is a demo). On the upside, this is the sound of a band with a widespread and fanatical following
which has created a post-rock primer for its gigantic fan base. On the flipside, Kid A is the
Cliff's Notes equivalent to a host of better, more innovative bands. If we are lucky, millions of
kids will be turned on to fakejazz.com. If we are not so lucky, Radiohead will go down in the annals of
Rolling Stone as having invented post-rock (or, at least, Pitchforkmedia.com will crown them the
kings of it).
With each album, Radiohead has become progressively more original and more interesting, evolving
from a generic post-grunge Brit-band, into a group with a unique, epic vision, passion, and a
continually developing sound. They had captured U2's broad sense of modern, lyric discontent, and
combined it with Pink Floyd's ability to make stadium-sized introspection seem intimate. As far as
pop groups go, they were nearly perfect: just accessible enough to be in heavy rotation, but smart
enough to appeal to those who don't listen to the radio.
Kid A upsets that delicate balance. Instead of following their past pattern of using familiar
language to say something new, Radiohead is trying out a whole new vocabulary. It is unsuccessful
for two reasons. First, because they have yet to master the syntax and grammar, they speak like
babies. Second, because everyone fully expects Radiohead to make strides forward with each album
(they may be the only band whose fanbase would be disappointed if they release the same album
twice), by going too far, they are showcasing their weaknesses, which is made more glaring by the
fact that heretofore Radiohead has only gotten better with each release. Further, Kid A is too
derivative to be really interesting. The vision involved belongs to other groups. The passion has all
but evaporated.
The best songs on Kid A are the ones which have a modicum of Radiohead passion.
"Everything in its Right Place" is a cake layered with hazy keyboards, synthesizer atmosphere, and
Thom Yorke's processed vocals. Though it lacks guitars, bass, and drums, it retains the urgency and
fervent passion of Radiohead's best work, largely due to Yorke's vocal delivery. Similarly, "The
National Anthem," built solidly on a driving bass riff and a snappy snare and symbol beat, mixed with
swirling synths and eerie effects, opens up with a gaggle of sassy horns that bleat through the climax.
The lower points, however, are spectacularly uninspired. "Kid A" is a straight Warp records rip off,
with plinky synths, super fake drum machines, mismatched rhythms, but lacking the inspired
eccentricity or authentic bizarro of Aphex Twin or Autechre. "In Limbo" has a guitar, which noodles
pointlessly along with some plodding keyboards, which, for a lack of any other direction,
get swept up in a noisy flush.
With Kid A, Radiohead seems to be determined to leave the radio listeners behind. However,
in doing so, they have abandoned much of what made them such a good band to begin with. Gone, for
the most part, is the lurching fury which exploded out of the louder tunes. Similarly missing is the
emotional nakedness of their quieter tunes. For the most part, Kid A is a flat, evenly toned
work. The music is not bad. In fact, given how closely it resembles the Warp and Thrill Jockey
rosters (with the exception of "Optimistic" which is pure U2), it cannot really be too bad. However,
because it appears to have been cribbed, rather than authentically born, it comes off as false and
sterile. That is, it is exactly what The Bends and OK Computer were not. What
makes those albums work is not production techniques, instrumentation, or arrangements, but honesty
and agony.
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